God and Monster
by JHathaway
Summary: Imprisoned by SHIELD, Loki is in despair until Aro, leader of the Volturi vampire coven, arrives with an intriguing proposal. Can a fallen Asgard god and a reformed vampire overlord become humanity's last hope for survival?
1. The Man Who Fell to Earth

_I do not own Twilight or Marvel and have no intention of profiting from this story.  
_

_Basically in this AU, the events of the Avengers film (2012) happened but Thor never showed up. The Avengers triumphed anyway and captured Loki who is now imprisoned at SHIELD headquarters. Oh yes, and vampires exist. _

* * *

It had not gone well.

Images streamed through his mind. Damning, highly unpleasant images. His plan had worked so perfectly at first, despite that small temporary glitch of getting captured by SHIELD. The Tesseract had been his, the power had been his. He had stood on that ridiculous Stark Tower and watched the glowing energy cube punch a hole through the sky, opening a portal to another galaxy, letting in the alien army that would assure his own victory. All the triumph of the moment had been spoiled now.

Iron Man

Black Widow

Hawkeye

Captain America

The _Hulk_

They had such stupid names.

When he had come to, battered and broken, shoved so far through Stark's office floor that he was practically embedded in it, and found the entire team standing over him, he had never felt so low.

Except perhaps at this moment, this was fairly low. Sitting on the floor of a plastic cube in SHIELD headquarters like some expensive pet on display, having to put up with watching every coming and going of the SHIELD agents because they didn't trust their own people enough to hide him away from view and risk him finding a way out of his prison.

He had never felt so low except perhaps for that moment before he left Asgard for good, when he and his brother had ended their explosive battle by hanging off the bridge of the gods with nothing but the galaxy below them. That moment when his father had stood over him, willing to pull him back, to forgive and forget his treachery and his mad quest for respect and power, willing to do anything but acknowledge and trust him. That moment had made him want to let go of everything, to cast himself off into nothingness. And he had.

Loki sighed and closed his eyes briefly, covering the crushing pain in his heart with a soothing layer of boredom.

When he opened them, he noticed Nick Fury walking past with a few other agents, and someone he had never seen before. A man with very pale skin, and long dark hair pulled back from his face. The man looked at Loki as he passed and smiled, a dazzling, intoxicating smile. Loki found himself smiling back a little. He felt unaccountably as though he were being warmed by the sun after being in the dark for a very long time.

Time seemed to stand still in that moment but it passed soon enough, and Loki was left watching them disappear around a corner into Fury's office. Still, he felt better somehow, with a kind of lingering effect, as though he could feel the sun's rays on his skin even though he had been returned to the darkness.

Loki watched the corner where he had last seen them until they came back around it. He was intrigued, definitely intrigued.

When they returned, Fury was looking uncomfortable and the other agents wary. The stranger appeared relaxed, but his gaze was eager, and focused on Loki's cell. Loki felt a thrum of excitement in his chest. While Fury entered the code to unlock the cell door with reluctant slowness, Loki and the stranger looked at each other with the same expression of curiosity.

When the door was open, the stranger entered cautiously, as if unsure if he were trespassing. Loki looked up at him and smiled again. "You're not like the others."

"Neither are you." The stranger crouched down gracefully so they were at the same level.

"Are you a '_hero_' too?"

The stranger chuckled appreciatively, "No, unfortunately, I'm a demon."

Loki raised his eyebrows. He could see now that the stranger's eyes were a deep red, but he was a species of creature that he had never seen before.

"The humans call us Vampires. We live on human blood."

"Oh."

"And _you_ are a god."

Loki inclined his head graciously, "as you see."

The stranger smiled widely. "Appearances are always deceiving, Loki of Asgard. My name is Aro of the Volturi Coven. I am here because my people have entered into an agreement with SHIELD, in return for some resources."

"Such as myself?"

"You _are_ perceptive."

"Why should I help you?"

"Because you're a god. Gods always like to be present at the moment of creation."

"Creation?"

"A new species out of an ancient one. My people live in secret, I want them to walk freely and not hide in the shadows any longer. In order to do that, we need to stop being monsters, stop drinking human blood. We have scientists at work on this, but it is a change beyond the abilities of science."

Loki's expression became serious. "You need magic."

"Yes." Aro tilted his head to one side inquiringly. "Will you help us, Loki?"

Loki gazed back at him in silence. His mind whirled. He didn't know what this proposal would actually mean but he knew for certain that he could not refuse to take it. In the darkness of his despair a light shone, and he turned towards it.

"When do we start?"

"Not today," broke in Fury's gravelly voice. "We need some serious security measures in place before we even _think_ about moving you out of here." Fury entered the cell and stood over them a little threateningly. It was clear the interview was over.

Aro stood and offered a hand to the SHIELD director, "thank you for your help, Mr. Fury."

Fury stepped back from Aro's outstretched hand. "Oh no you don't, you know the deal. You don't read my mind, I don't fry your ass."

Aro chuckled, "Delicately put, as always."

He turned back to Loki who was watching them with a bemused expression. "I'll see you soon, Loki of Asgard." Again the dazzling smile.

Loki watched them leave in silence, then closed his eyes, then laughed out loud. For the first time in a long time, he actually felt...happy.


	2. One and the Same

_Warning: slash lime. _

* * *

"I don't like this," Nick Fury growled, "How am I supposed to handle this situation if you keep me out of the loop. This is _not_ a need to know mission, I've got global security on the line here!"

The shadowy figures on the screens above him listened to Fury impassively.

"Your dedication is commendable, Mr. Fury, but you must understand how dangerous this mission is," said the leader of the Global Security Council. "We simply cannot afford an information leak."

Fury huffed, unconvinced. "I'm here to protect against security breaches."

"Normally, yes," said a woman, "but you don't often work with mind-readers."

"I haven't let him touch me," Fury snarled, insulted.

"This is a creature who can move at lightning speeds, you may already have been compromised. If you know too much, you become a liability to us."

The man who spoke now was relatively new to the Counsel. His British-accented voice sounded young but his acid diction made Fury think he might be much older. Like all the figures on the screens, this one sat at a nondescript desk, the lighting making it impossible to see his face or make out much else, but Fury could just catch a glimpse of shoulder-length white blond hair glinting in the shadows.

"For now you must simply give him what he wants," said the Council leader.

Fury glowered but kept further thoughts to himself. His superiors still hadn't caught on to the extent of his rogue tendencies, no point in making them suspect him.

* * *

Loki had spent far too much time pondering what to wear. His usual regal Asgard attire seemed in order since the demon regarded him as a god. On the other hand, Aro's fashionable Earth clothing made him think perhaps he should try to fit in. Irritated with his indecisiveness, Loki went with his Asgard look, because he knew it annoyed Nick Fury.

When they came to get him, Loki was waiting impressively. As expected, Fury scowled, and Loki grinned pleasantly back, pleased with himself.

Their destination was underground, a sleek, modern facility with a large, central space and multiple floors rising on either side. Ushered in on the ground floor by Fury and a ridiculously large contingent of SHIELD agents, Loki was ready to be bored. It looked just the same as every other secret SHIELD laboratory so he assumed it belonged to them as well.

Something drew his gaze upwards, Aro was watching them from the floor above, his hands resting on the chrome railing. His expression was lofty and smug, but his dark eyes smiled at Loki and Loki smiled back.

With an effortless movement, Aro vaulted over the railing and landed in front of the newcomers. The SHIELD agents reacted defensively but Fury held up a hand and they lowered their weapons.

"Welcome, my friends," Aro beamed genially at them. "Loki, Mr. Fury, so good to see you again." Aro waved two men forward. "Please allow me to introduce my brother Marcus, and our good doctor Carlisle Cullen, who are leading our research here."

Cautious but courteous nods were exchanged. Marcus looked nothing like his brother besides being obviously of the same species. His long face and long body towered over everyone, but he smiled pleasantly at them all, looking kind and warm despite his intimidating presence. Golden and attractive Dr. Cullen was even more charming, drawing curious looks from the SHIELD agents.

Aro clasped his hands delightedly. "I'm so glad you're all finally here, " he exclaimed, "but Mr. Fury, surely this, ah, army isn't completely necessary."

"It's the only way this is happening," growled Fury.

"But we're perfectly capable of taking care of Loki ourselves, may I demonstrate?" Aro lifted his hand and two men appeared beside him in a blur of motion.

Fury sighed, "Fine, but don't get overly creative." Around him the other SHIELD agents slowly lifted their weapons again.

Aro turned to Loki, "Shall we?" he asked.

Loki inclined his head graciously, understanding at once, then vanished, reappearing on the second floor where Aro had been standing. To his surprise, he found Aro's men beside him, the larger one with his hand firmly around Loki's throat. As their eyes met, the man looked away quickly, intimidated but not letting go. Loki looked down at the others.

"You see?" said Aro. "Felix and Demetri are more than capable of handling security on this."

Fury waved at his people to stand down again.

"You are going to give me what I want, aren't you, Mr. Fury?" Aro asked innocently.

Fury looked very much as though he wanted to take Aro apart but instead he turned to his people and ordered them to wait outside the facility.

Loki watched them leave wonderingly. "You can let go now," he murmured to the vampire holding him.

* * *

They had the usual computer screens with colorful data displays and touch manipulation. Dr. Cullen handled these with an ease of movement that would have seemed leisurely if it wasn't also extremely precise, while Aro did most of the talking.

Nick Fury had heard some of this before and now mostly watched Loki's reaction while he listened to Aro's soft, full voice explain the nature of the project.

"Originally we were all humans, so the vampire species is really a re-configuration of another. We're created through venom passed from a vampire directly into a human's blood system. The venom helps to subdue prey to begin with, if the human dies, nothing further happens. But if injected into the body of a living human, it begins rewiring the machinery of the body, replacing all the fluids of the body, and finally stopping the heart. It enables our immortality, keeping us alive eternally even if we are unable to feed, and rebuilding our bodies if we are injured."

"And makes us ridiculously good looking," interjected Marcus.

Aro chuckled giddily, "that too."

Dr. Cullen skimmed through more data displays. "It's unclear to us what relation the venom has to blood-feeding, or why human blood is more desirable than other types."

"It is certainly possible to survive without human blood, so it is not a requirement," said Marcus. "Take Dr. Cullen for instance, he's fed on animal blood since he was turned and we can find no difference physically or mentally."

Loki looked quizzically at the doctor, "What about his eyes?" They were a flat yellow, unlike the dark red of the others.

Aro shrugged. "We're not sure, all 'vegetarians' have that color. But they behave the same as ours, getting black when we haven't fed for a while, brighter when we have."

Loki smirked, "and they're all very pretty."

Aro smiled widely at him, and winked.

Observing them, Fury was struck by how similar the two men were. Both were of the same height, slender but not skinny, with long black hair, and very pale skin. They both looked relaxed when they should have been on guard, smiled and laughed too much, appearing simultaneously happy and dangerous.

Loki was laughing now, at some deadpan joke from Marcus, an open, unpractised laugh that seemed to fill his face with light. Aro was staring at him, entranced.

Fury coughed meaningfully, and Aro turned back to him politely. "I'll leave you to it. We'll be back tomorrow to check in."

"I look forward to it," said Aro warmly, pressing his palms together.

Fury paused on his way out of the room, turning with a sweep of his leather coat. Aro was still watching him, the others were gathered around the displays, Loki was gazing at something Dr. Cullen was sketching, one finger pressed against his mouth as though deep in thought.

"Don't think you're not being watched. We're right outside."

Aro grinned. It didn't make Fury feel any better.

* * *

"I'm sorry the accommodations are so spartan," Aro said apologetically.

Loki glanced around the simple but somehow luxurious apartment.

"It's better than a plastic cube."

"I can't believe they were keeping you in that."

Loki looked at Aro speculatively. The vampire's expression was sympathetic, warm. He decided to take the chance he had been thinking of since he had first seen him.

"Do you want to read my mind?"

"What?"

"You can read minds through touch, can't you? Fury was afraid to touch your hand before."

"That's so, but he was right, I'm very intrusive, if I touch your skin I'll be able to read every thought you've ever had."

"But you'd like to. With me."

"Yes," said Aro softly, "if you want me to."

Loki held out his hand and after a moment's hesitation, Aro took it gently in both of his. There was silence in the room for a few minutes, broken only by Aro exhaling slowly, and then releasing Loki's hand.

Loki looked into his face, searching for a reaction. Aro looked as though he had lost the ability for speech. His eyes met Loki's wonderingly.

"I understand," he said at last. "What you are, your mind, I've never experienced anything like it, but I understand. The pain, it's terrible…." He shook his head. "I'm so sorry."

Loki felt relief rush through him. He had wanted this, to be known.

Aro smiled suddenly, a tiny smile that nevertheless lit up his face.

"What?"

"You make me happy too," said Aro, and smiled wider.

This was much more than Loki had expected. His thoughts, Aro had read his _heart_. Loki's expression changed so dramatically into one of vulnerable need that Aro caught his breath in surprise.

Aro touched Loki's face lightly, they were suddenly very close together, their breath on each other's skin. Loki began to tremble, Aro pressed forward, and their lips met. In a rush of movement they were kissing passionately, holding on to each other as though afraid the other would vanish. Aro was intoxicated by the contact, Loki had so _much_ need, and he felt _everything_.

Loki found himself flung across the bed, Aro hovering over him. He kissed him as though Aro was his only source of oxygen. Aro grasped Loki's clothing to tear it and it melted away into thin air. Their naked skin together was like the heat of a killing frost. Loki could feel his blood pounding through his skin and wondered if Aro wanted it. The joining of their mouths in an even more fervent, searching kiss told him otherwise.

"You're beautiful," Loki whispered against Aro's lips, "you're beautiful." Aro took Loki's hands in his, interlacing their fingers, reading him completely while his own mind remained protected and mysterious to the other. The complete knowing and understanding was still one-sided, Loki thought, but for now, it was enough.


	3. Angels and Demons

_This chapter includes a suggestive but not actually explicit lemon.  
_

* * *

"So what's a nice girl like you doing working for a monster like Aro?" Nick Fury glanced up at the elegantly dressed young woman with a scathing one-eyed glare.

Gianna returned his look with neutral politeness. Aro had advised her to answer the SHIELD director's questions with answers he could understand, no matter how untrue.

_Because they promised to make me a monster just like them_, she thought, a little wistfully because at the moment she was tired of being disregarded as a young and inconsequential human.

"The pay is good," she replied instead, earning a grunt of disgust from Fury and the end of her interrogation.

She watched Fury continue to disassemble her handbag, laying out moleskine notebooks and expensive pens, compacts and lip gloss, for several agents who were busy scanning everything with their high tech equipment, in search of anything that could possibly be information being smuggled past SHIELD security into the secret facility. They completed their work and shook their heads collectively - nothing.

Fury growled in frustration. He wanted to know what kind of information Aro was getting from outside. The Council be damned. Someone was giving Aro direction, someone was telling him what kind of cooperation he could expect from Fury.

Gianna tried not to look smug, she folded her hands demurely and waited for permission to repack her bag.

Fury looked her up and down thoughtfully. "Take off your shoes," he ordered brusquely. Gianna sighed inwardly and bent first one leg and then the other to retrieve her perilously high, red-soled stilettos. It did help that the pay _was_ good.

* * *

"Fury wants you dead," said Loki.

Aro grinned, "However did you guess that?"

He and Loki were walking down one of the confusingly identical corridors in the research facility, on their way to the main lab. They had managed at last to get their clothes on and keep them on, but Aro was finding Loki's low, resonant voice distracting even in serious conversation. He forced himself not to think about the number of quiet recesses in the facility that he could be dragging Loki into right now.

Loki's tone was mocking but the expression of his peaked eyebrows was worried. "Why are you still alive?"

"The Global Security Council believes it is better to help us carry out our goal of freeing ourselves of the need for human blood than it is to destroy our species."

"Did they know your species existed before the partnership with SHIELD?"

"No," said Aro simply.

"That was a risk."

"If the goal is fulfilled, it will be worth it."

"And if not?"

"Then Director Fury will get his wish, and we will be destroyed…," Aro glanced at Loki with a small sly smile, "...slowly, intimately, in all the ways he knows we fear most."

Loki grimaced. His own words. Aro could call on any memory he possessed now. The knowledge made him feel both vulnerable and excited.

"Master." Demetri came towards them hurriedly, holding up a cell phone. "Gianna says she's being held up by security again."

Aro sighed exasperatedly and took the phone from Demetri. "Go ahead without me," he murmured. Loki patted him sympathetically on the shoulder and walked on with Demetri. He could hear Aro's voice behind him, silken and soft, "Come now, Mr. Fury, if you keep insisting on strip-searching my secretary every time she visits me, I'll be forced to suspect you of more prurient motives than global security."

The laboratory was empty when Loki entered, except for a dark-haired young woman who was sitting on one of the desks and swinging her legs in a somewhat absent-minded manner. Demetri bowed his head to her and backed out of the lab with respectful deference when she nodded pleasantly to him.

Loki looked her over appraisingly. She could have been anywhere between 17 and 24 years old, but considering her red eyes and pale skin, she might be centuries older than that. She was pretty, with thick eyebrows and large inquiring eyes.

"Hello, you must be Loki," she said with a warm smile. "I'm Didyme, Aro's sister."

Once she said it, the similarity was obvious. Loki smiled back almost shyly and bowed as though to a queen. "My lady, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Didyme laughed, "Thanks, you too. Marcus was telling me about you, how you're going to help us. I'm not really a part of the project so I'm not too clear on the details. If I wasn't married to Marcus, I don't think they'd tell me anything at all about it."

Loki looked puzzled, "I didn't know vampires practiced sibling-marriage."

Didyme shook her head. "Sorry, that was confusing. Aro and Marcus are coven brothers but they're not related. I'm Aro's biological sister."

"I beg your pardon, my lady, I misunderstood."

Didyme waved away his apology cheerfully. "So, has Aro read your mind yet?"

Loki actually blushed a little and crossed his hands behind his back. "Yes. Can you read minds too?"

"My talent is a bit…unusual for a vampire. I make people happy."

"Oh?" Loki wondered with a sudden lurch of panic whether his whole reaction to Aro had been artificially created, a kind of glamour. "So do you and Aro share the same talents at all?"

"Nope, no family resemblance there," she said smiling. "Want to try it?"

Loki spread his arms. "If you wish." He braced himself, eyes closed.

The warmth of the sun spread through him. White flowers with a sweet scent opened on a summer day. The sounds of an open field surrounded him. It wasn't the happiness he had found with Aro, that was harsh and terrible in its beauty. This was something else, the happiness of peace.

He opened his eyes slowly. He felt calm, at rest. Didyme was watching him with a kind expression.

"Amazing," he murmured.

"Did you see anything? A lot of people see something."

Loki nodded, "A place where I was happy, when I was a child in Asgard."

Didyme smiled, "I'm glad."

"I'll show you," said Loki, wanting to give her something in return. He summoned his magic and created the illusion of the meadow around them.

Didyme exclaimed with pleasure, looking around eagerly. Loki watched her with amazement. Her skin in the sunlight was prismatic, refracting the light as though she were a living jewel.

"It's wonderful! I almost never get to go outside in the daytime!" Didyme twirled in circles, lifting her face to the sun with infectious joy.

Dr. Carlisle entered the lab and stopped in surprise. They turned at his polite cough and Loki reluctantly let the illusion fade.

"You're, ah, certainly very talented," Carlisle said.

"Illusions are easy." Loki gestured to the computer screens. "Shall we resume?" He frowned, remembering the gravity of the situation for the vampires but Didyme's quick, unexpected hug of thanks made him smile again in spite of himself.

* * *

Marcus met Aro in the hallway on the way to the lab.

"Demetri said there was trouble."

Aro groaned with frustration and leaned his head into his brother's shoulder, as he had done since they were children together, raised in the same Roman household.

"They're such pathetic idiots," he said, his voice muffled in Marcus's jacket. "I'm a mind-reader for goodness sake, and they apparently think I'm going to have my private secretary smuggle in _microfiche_."

Marcus patted Aro's back soothingly. "At least you know what you're dealing with."

Aro raised his head and sighed. "I suppose."

"How are you and Loki getting on this morning?"

Aro chuckled. "You've noticed."

"How could I not? Marcus looked amused for a moment. "Your bond is very distinct. Remarkable actually." He became serious.

"And?" said Aro, uneasily.

"He's become very attached to you in a short time. If you're not more cautious, you'll wind up with another Caius situation, and then where will we be?"

"I see what you mean, but it's too late for me to pull back…." Aro looked concerned.

"Just tread carefully, brother. Don't make him any more in love with you than you need to."

Aro nodded soberly. "If that's possible," he said, without a trace of humor in his voice.

* * *

Loki studied the data that Carlisle had prepared for him. Sometimes he asked questions which Carlisle or Marcus answered, or tried to answer. There was still so much they did not understand about their own species despite hundreds of years of collective research.

Aro and Didyme stood back, observing and occasionally whispering to each other. Sometimes one of them would laugh at the other's joke, with affectionate good humor.

Finally Loki straightened up and turned to Aro. "You've already rejected the idea of an alternative food source?" he asked.

Aro waved his hand dismissively. "There's no source that could completely replace the need for human blood. Even humans, with all their dietary needs available through vegetarian means still consume meat in large numbers."

"What if it were more desirable than human blood? An elixir that could sate your thirst more effectively?"

Aro shook his head. "Even if it were within your power, it's not an acceptable solution."

"Capitalism," said Marcus simply.

"What?"

"It's an Earth economic system that requires currency in order to acquire the basic needs of life," explained Aro. "Vampires have benefited from it over the centuries but we've never been enslaved to it yet. As soon as you create an artificial food source, you enter into a supply and demand situation in which a few people could potentially have control over the majority. For a species which has always been able to get their own food whenever they needed to without having to worry about a supply chain...this could have catastrophic effects on our society.

A wild idea began to form in Loki's mind. "Can you die from starvation?"

"No, but the results are unpleasant. My brother Caius experimented with this for a while."

"On himself?" Loki asked in surprise.

"No...he was annoyed with a few people, shall we say, and got creative." Aro smiled fondly.

They were interrupted by Demetri entering the lab with Gianna.

"Ahhh," Aro exclaimed, pleased. "Gianna, at last."

Loki was surprised at the inclusion of a human but supposed she was some kind of servant.

Aro took Gianna's hand in his own, smiling warmly at her. She smiled back and bowed her head to him. "Master, I am sorry for the delay."

"I hope you had a pleasant journey, and were not troubled too much by your ordeal with our lovely SHIELD friends." He stroked her hand gently.

"Yes, thank you Master."

From the intensity of Marcus and Carlisle's attention to the innocuous conversation, Loki guessed that the real purpose of the meeting was for Aro to read Gianna's mind. A clever way of passing along information.

Aro released the secretary's hand and caressed her face lightly. Gianna glowed with happiness. "You must be tired, my dear, rest before you leave for your flight back. Demetri will bring you something to eat." He waved the younger vampire over, smiled again at Gianna and then turned back to the others, clasping his hands excitedly.

"All's well," asked Marcus casually.

Aro nodded, looking incomparably smug. His expression changed when he saw Loki's look of brooding concentration. He came closer to him and put out his hand hesitantly.

"Loki?"

"It's an incomplete thought." Loki reached out and took Aro's hand. Aro gazed at it as though seeing it for the first time.

_A secretary._

_Her employer._

_The dead man who lived. The man with the power generator around his heart. He fought in a metal suit but the real miracle was the circle of light always in his chest.  
_

_Like the glowing orb of the sun._

Aro nodded. A confirmation. He looked serious, contemplating the darkness of creation.

Loki worked on his own for the rest of the day, the others respectfully moving around him, disturbing him only with the insistence that he take nourishment of some kind. He drank the stimulant they offered, dark and bitter even when sweetened, and kept working.

In the middle of the night Aro put a hand on his arm in the empty lab. Loki looked up, his green eyes taking a moment to focus. Aro smiled affectionately.

"You need to rest."

Loki nodded wearily and allowed Aro to lead him out of the lab. In the hallway on the way to Loki's room, Aro couldn't resist shoving him into a convenient alcove and slipping his hand between them. Loki chuckled in a low sensuous way that made Aro feel dizzy with lust for him.

"Define _rest_ for me," said Loki.

Aro smiled gleefully and kissed him with elaborate skill. "Something like that," he murmured, making Loki grin back at him.

They made it to Loki's room eventually. After a brief, laughing struggle, Loki tipped Aro onto the bed and pinned him down.

"Welcome back", said Loki mockingly, moving slowly against Aro with teasing gentleness. Aro wrapped his legs around Loki's waist and brushed his lips up Loki's neck with the same frustratingly soft touch. It was wonderful to Loki how Aro matched every intention and action. It made him feel as if he could do no wrong. He kissed Aro hungrily, running his fingers into the vampire's sleek hair, his movements becoming rougher and more demanding.

"Do that again," whispered Aro seductively in his ear.

"What?" said Loki, distracted.

"The trick with your clothes."

Loki grinned wickedly. His green and silver clothing evaporated into wisps of color, followed by Aro's elegant black garments. Aro gasped with delight.

Pressed into even more contact with Loki's skin as they moved together, Aro could not help absorbing Loki's thoughts until they were almost indistinguishable from his own. It was overwhelming, they mirrored each other and yet were different. As the tension built in Aro's body, it seemed the easiest thing in the world to submit to Loki's dominance, clutching his shoulders, their faces close and almost touching.

Aro made a small, involuntary exclamation against Loki's mouth and shuddered, as melting silver shivers under the heat just before it is shaped into something new and rarefied. In that vulnerable moment, his mind stripped bare, Aro saw further into Loki's mind than he had before, into the thoughts that Loki had not yet begun to articulate to himself. Aro's eyes widened in shock as he faced irrefutable evidence that for the first time in Loki's existence, he had found someone he valued more than himself.

_He would die for Aro._

_He would live for Aro._

_He would kill for Aro._

Loki collapsed into Aro's arms, his breathing ragged, and Aro held him tightly, trying to accept what he had seen. Marcus had been right, Loki's bond to him was dangerously strong, and if Aro wasn't careful, a lot of people were going to die because of it. Loki laughed shakily with relief and joy, his head resting on Aro's silent chest. Aro pressed a kiss to the top of his dark head and pulled him closer. _What have I done? _ He thought.


	4. Silent Before the Dawn

_Warning: some intense dialogue and a suggestive but non-explicit lemon._

* * *

Loki held the small device in his hand carefully, feeling the weight of it. The metal casing protected a core of pure energy, volatile, tamed only by the magic at his command. For something so innocuous, it held a surprising amount of power. The power to change an entire species forever. Loki had played with destruction before, but this was annihilation of a different sort.

"Does it meet with your expectations?" The deep rasp of Marcus's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Loki looked up at the three vampires watching him. "It will suffice," he said, and lifting his hand, set the device free, rotating it slowly in the air.

Carlisle made a gesture as though he were going to catch it before it fell but stopped himself.

His hands clasped in front of him, Aro gazed at the object with an unreadable expression, then flicked his eyes back to Loki. "Please explain your plan," he said quietly.

Loki contemplated the device with half-closed eyes, seeing the invisible patterns of the magic rather than the actual object. "The first thing to understand is that you don't consume sustenance the way you used to when you were human. Your entire digestive system has been altered, you no longer use it in the same way a mortal would. You don't need to eat."

"And yet we _must_ consume blood," said Carlisle.

Loki shook his head, starting to pace under their inquiring gaze. "Your venom generates a tremendous amount of energy to keep you immortal and it depletes your body in the process. Your body requires human blood to recuperate because human blood is the closest available replacement for what the venom takes from you. Mammal blood of any kind will work because blood in general is capable of replacing what has been lost. You lust after human blood because instinctively you know it will remedy the loss best. You cannot die from this depletion because this is no longer possible for you. The venom will not allow you to die."

"And the device?" asked Marcus.

"I'm going to use the magic the device calls upon to change the way the venom works, to make it self-sufficient. It will generate its own power and draw nothing from you. In the end, you will cease to have the need to feed on anything at all."

Aro was silent, his gaze returning to the device.

"Are you ready to test this?" asked Marcus.

"Yes, but it may not work the first time. You should choose a vampire for the testing that you place little value on."

"We have anticipated this," said Aro. "There is someone in the facility already for the purpose."

"Good," said Loki. "We'll begin in the morning." He held out his hand and the device returned to it. Carlisle brought forward a case and Loki placed it carefully inside.

Aro looked for a moment at Marcus with a vulnerable expression that seemed to ask for confirmation. Marcus inclined his head with a slight smile of approval and then left the laboratory with Carlisle. Loki felt puzzled by the silent exchange. A question asked and answered, but beyond that he couldn't guess.

Aro's mood suddenly changed and he smiled for the first time that day. "Do you want to go for a walk? It's a lovely night."

"I thought we weren't allowed to leave the facility," Loki said in surprise

Aro chuckled gleefully. "That's what Fury thinks. We rewired all the security cameras and other surveillance devices the first night we were here. He sees what we want him to see." He slipped his arms around Loki and murmured into his ear, "I want to get you away from here for a while."

_I want you._

_I need you._

Did it matter anymore which one of them was thinking this?

Loki dipped his head to rest on Aro's shoulder for a moment, unwilling to break their physical connection, even for the promise of more.

They left by way of the roof, only a few inches above ground. Loki looked wonderingly around at the spot lights and cameras, each of which turned to let them pass unseen. When they were a few meters from the facility, Aro pulled Loki onto his back and began to run, moving so swiftly that the night became nothing but a dark blur to Loki. He clung to Aro's back, his face pressed against the vampire's black hair, thrilled at the combined sense of freedom and protection he felt.

Aro came to a halt when he felt assured that SHIELD would not be able to detect their presence so far from the facility. Loki slid down and they stood for a while enjoying the feel of the cool air on their skin and the wide emptiness of the desert landscape, stretching out in all directions to the horizon. Aro tilted his head back and gazed up at the vast swath of the milky way overhead, as though savoring something sweet. Looking at him, a rush of excitement seized Loki. He pulled Aro to him tightly. "Come, let's get closer to the stars."

Calling on his magic, Loki launched them both into the sky, the earth falling away below them. Aro gripped Loki hard enough to hurt, making a stifled exclamation of surprise.

The wind whipped at their hair and clothing as Loki flew onward, leaving the region and then the continent altogether, soaring over a seemingly unending ocean.

Aro looked down at the water, alive with movement, and then up at the stars, nearer, brighter, each one shining like a galaxy in itself. "Amazing…." he breathed.

Eventually, Loki slowed down over an island continent and alighted on a wide mountain ledge.

"You _are_ a god," Aro whispered against Loki's neck, his voice rough with hushed intensity.

In that moment, Loki realized the full extent of his feelings for Aro. It struck him suddenly, a pressure beginning in his chest and rising into his throat. He pulled back, his hands on Aro's shoulders and saw that Aro was smiling at him with an expression of such extreme tenderness that it hurt Loki to see it.

"You already knew."

"Yes."

"How long?"

"Since the second night."

Loki took Aro's hand and pressed a kiss to it.

"Aro…."

_Do you feel the same?_

Aro clasped Loki's right hand in his own, interlacing their fingers. He yanked Loki closer, bearing his teeth a little.

"Loki Silvertongue, If I could, I would tear your beating heart from your body and make myself its substitute. I would drive the blood through your veins, make your pulses throb, fuel the heat of your brain. I would be the source of all your thoughts and desires, your hopes and fears, your pleasure and pain. I would be your life itself. Now, does that answer your question?"

_Yes._

Loki's mouth parted to receive Aro's and he trembled a little from the intensity of the contact, gripping the back of Aro's head with his free hand to steady himself. Their clothing evaporated around them in wisps of color, but this was no time for games. Right now, Loki just wanted Aro to have him against the hard stone of the ledge. Wanted Aro's hands on his body, wanted his mouth and his cool tongue, until Loki cried out with a release for which sound was inadequate but which Aro heard, nonetheless, echoing through Loki's mind.

* * *

"Do you know where we are?" Loki asked afterward when they were standing together looking out at the strange, beautiful country below them. They had left the facility in the middle of the night but here they were just a few hours into evening.

"It's commonly known as New Zealand, but it has other names," said Aro.

"You've been here before?"

"No, but I've seen it many times over the centuries, in the memories of humans I've touched." There was something unfamiliar in Aro's voice. Loki reached his hand out and Aro took it, studying it carefully as though considering an option he had been unsure of.

"I've killed a lot of humans. You should know that."

Loki read sadness in Aro's voice now and regarded him with sympathetic concern. "So have I, you saw what I did to New York."

Aro shook his head. "It's not the same, that was an act of war. I've been a fiend from hell, living off the blood of the innocent. Three thousand years is a long time to be a vampire, think of how many times I've had to feed."

_Millions._

Loki considered this. It had been a terrible shock to discover his true origin as a member of the race he had been brought up to view as demons, the enemies of Asgard and his people. He knew what it was to believe yourself to be a monster, and what it was to turn away from that.

"You are _not_ a monster," he said, running his hand up to cup Aro's face. Aro closed his eyes briefly, leaning into the caress.

"I have tried to turn away from it," he said in answer to Loki's thoughts. "There is a reason why Earth is not overrun with vampires. Our numbers are small, as predators we're kept in check. Our natural prey flourishes to the point of overpopulation. That is in no small part due to the work of my coven. For almost as long as I've been a vampire, we've kept the laws, making sure new vampires aren't created too frequently, that not too many humans are fed on, that discretion is maintained."

Aro turned to face Loki. Their naked skin glowed in the moonlight, catching glimmers of radiance, shadowed by their dark hair. "I am a monster not because of my species but because of myself. I have been so committed to controlling the vampire world that it has threatened that which I should have protected above all else."

"Tell me," said Loki, feeling as though he were looking into a black hole, wondering why he was unafraid of what it contained.

Aro swallowed hard, he forced himself to keep looking at Loki as he spoke. "Over two thousand years ago, my family was forced to overthrow a much more powerful coven. We were completely outmatched but I felt we had no choice. This coven was intent on the very opposite to my goals. Their leaders were turning huge numbers of vampires, seeking to build an empire that would overshadow the human world. My sister Didyme opposed my decision to go to war for many reasons, the primary one being that she feared losing her mate. She persuaded Marcus to leave the Volturi coven with her and this I could not allow. Marcus has the ability to see lines of connection between people, he was and still is essential to the coven. At the time, with no other way to assess the loyalty of many disparate covens scattered around the world, I knew that victory was impossible without his talent to guide me."

"Did Marcus understand this?"

"He did, but he also could not go against Didyme's wishes. And Didyme in turn could not be persuaded to let him remain in danger. So I made a decision that went against all my inclinations, for the good of my species, for the good of my world."

Loki drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You were going to kill her."

"Yes." Aro looked impossibly sad. "To my eternal regret."

"But you didn't, you stopped."

"At the last possible moment, yes. But the intention was enough to mark me as a monster forever. Even though Marcus and Didyme eventually returned to the coven and helped secure the victory I sought, even though Didyme and I are still as close as we were as children, it is as though it happened and only I know of it. Seeing her every day...knowing that I killed her…."

Loki tried to pull Aro closer but he resisted. "Don't blind yourself to me," he said, his voice strained.

"Have you forgotten how many times I have tried to kill my own brother?"

"That isn't the same. You've met my sister, can you imagine a circumstance under which you would even consider harming her?"

Loki thought of the brightness of Aro's sister laughing in the sunlight, and shook his head.

"And you don't even know her. I _know_ her, she's my blood relation, the little sister I vowed to protect always, the vampire I made, flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone. She has murdered nearly as many humans as I have but her soul remains pure. In all the worlds, she is without equal...and I almost destroyed her. It is for her sake that I've risked us all. She deserves to walk in the sun after all these years."

Aro finally allowed Loki to pull him into an embrace, burying his face in Loki's neck and holding onto him tightly.

_You are safe with me. Safe even from yourself_, thought Loki.

Aro gave a shuddering sigh. _Now will you understand what I ask of you?_

He pulled back a step, smoothing back Loki's dark hair. "Come, we should get back. It will be dawn there soon."

Loki nodded and conjured their clothing back before sweeping Aro into the air once more. As he flew back with his precious cargo in his arms, he felt more determined than he'd ever been before in his life, even more than when he had plotted to become ruler of Asgard.

After all, he _was_ a god, descending from Asgard to bring peace to Aro's world and Aro's heart.


	5. Betrayals

"No." Loki's voice was low, tight with furious resistance.

All the vampires in the lab tensed automatically, all except for the one that Loki was fixing with a fierce, green glare.

"Yes." Aro's voice was, in contrast, soft and gentle. "I am so sorry. I never wanted to deceive you, but for a while we weren't sure how you would react."

"React?!" Loki laughed harshly in disbelief. "You're asking me to murder you!"

Didyme flinched and Marcus instinctively put a steadying hand on her arm.

"I believe in your abilities, Loki, otherwise I would never have asked for your help," said Aro. He kept his hands by his sides, a gesture that for him indicated absolute honesty.

Loki paced, seething with anger. "Anything could go wrong the first time. Your venom may simply turn in on itself and cease to animate your body or your mind. Even the second or third time might fail." He whirled on Aro, "You promised me test subjects of little value, not _you_!"

"And I am sorry, but this was always the plan. The transformation of my species is worthless if I am unwilling to sacrifice myself for it." Aro glanced toward his sister. "I can no longer justify the sacrifice of others." Didyme nodded very slightly and Aro smiled fondly in acknowledgement.

It had never occurred to Loki before that Aro's sister might know that he had once intended to kill her, but seeing the silent communication between the two siblings, he knew it must be so. And so Marcus must as well.

"Is this some form of retribution?" Loki turned on the pair aggressively. "Do you seek vengeance on your brother with _my_ magic as the vehicle?"

"You misread our intentions," rasped Marcus, looking kindly down at Loki. "Aro is our coven leader. It is on his initiative that this project was begun and it is his own wish to be the first to test the device. We understand and approve. He has our love and support, nothing more."

"I know this is a lot to ask of you," said Aro quietly. "But there is no going back. If you do not test the device, this project will be deemed a failure. The Council will authorize Director Fury to begin mobilizing against my people."

In a rush of movement, Loki was upon him, clutching Aro's head so tightly that tiny cracks spread out across Aro's skin from beneath his fingers.

Marcus raised a cautioning hand to hold back Demetri and Felix. They halted reluctantly, shoulders hunched in a hunting crouch. Carlisle, standing by Didyme's side, reflexively gripped the table behind him, nearly splitting its surface.

Loki's voice was low and menacing, spoken through bared teeth. "If you die, I will _never_ forgive you. I will burn this entire planet inch by inch until down to the core it is nothing but cold, dead ashes fluttering in space."

Aro, passive in Loki's grasp, smiled now, as though he could see victory in the distance. "No you won't. A short while ago I feared so, but you have changed. Now, if I live or die, you will protect that which I love."

With a snarl of rage, Loki shoved him away. But there was no escape from Aro's words. They repeated in his mind, in his heart. He was well and truly trapped.

For a long tense moment, Aro and Loki faced each other. Aro calm and patient. Loki breathing hard, until his peaked eyebrows came together and his expression changed from fury to pure vulnerable fear.

Aro tilted his head, intense sympathy in his face, watching as Loki regained control over himself, head up, shoulders back, anxiety smoothing out into grim, predatory determination. Aro waved a hand at the others without breaking eye contact with Loki. All but Carlisle retreated to the upper level of the laboratory, protective glass sliding across in front of them.

Didyme leaned forward anxiously, pressing her palms against the surface of the glass. Down below, Aro looked small and unprotected, reminding her suddenly of the human child she now only dimly remembered, light blue eyes and tousled dark hair, warm and laughing in some Roman courtyard under an ancient sun.

Carlisle brought forward the protective case containing the device and opened it but Loki did not lift it out. Instead he raised his right hand upwards and the device rose with it, moving until it hovered in the air in front of Aro.

Loki closed his eyes and concentrated on the magic he had mapped within the device. The massive energy source within woke and fiery tendrils of light radiated outward from the metal casing.

Aro couldn't help but gasp in delighted, wide-eyed amazement. Fascinated, he reached out a tentative finger to the nearest tendril. At that moment, Loki's eyes snapped open and the tendrils shot forward with terrible speed.

There was no time for screaming.

The tendrils struck Aro in the chest and pushed the energy into him, bending him backwards and suspending him motionless in the air. The watchers above collectively pushed forward, no amount of preparation could prevent the instinct to protect Aro. If Marcus had not assured them that Loki would not willingly harm Aro, Carlisle could not have believed he was not witnessing some form of torture.

Completely focused now, Loki drove the energy on. It blazed through Aro's venom, rewriting its very nature until it glowed with its own power, detaching energy suckers from Aro's body, turning in on itself, then expanding again, suffusing Aro until he seemed to be made of radiating light. Loki felt the completion of the magic and pulled backward with his hand. The tendrils retracted from Aro and returned to the device, the device in turn moving away, more swiftly this time, into its case.

Released, Aro dropped to the floor, limp and unmoving. Loki flew to his side, lifting him into his arms, desperately calling his name as the radiance in his skin slowly drained away. Loki searched helpless for signs of life but Aro normally had none. He had no pulse, no heartbeat. Most of the time he only breathed when he spoke or when he was excited.

Loki turned to Carlisle with a lost, pleading intake of breath. "Does he live?"

Carlisle knelt down and put his face close to Aro's. His enormous relief was evident when he raised his head.

"His body continues to produce venom, he lives."

"He is in shock," came Marcus's deep voice from the upper floor.

Loki looked up and Marcus inclined his head reassuringly.

"I can still see his bond lines, they are as strong as ever. I believe he will recover given time." Marcus's talent tapped on the back of his mind, distracting him from the scene below.

"Master?" asked Demetri.

Marcus looked saddened. "Director Fury is moving faster than we anticipated. His loyalty to the Council has broken entirely. Begin evacuation procedures."

"Yes Master." Demetri motioned to Felix and they left quickly to activate the computer programs already in readiness to provide distractions, false alarms, and other diversions necessary to allow a small group of vampires to flee a secure and locked down secret SHIELD facility.

Marcus turned back to the glass, putting his arm around Didyme as she looked down at Aro cradled in Loki's arms, Loki bending over him piteously, begging the dead to speak.


	6. Preparations for War

Gianna stared at her phone. It wasn't that she didn't believe what she had just heard, it was just that her mind was momentarily unable to process the next step after hearing it.

She laid her phone down on her desk and leaned her forehead on her hands. The Volturi hadn't employed her because she was a pretty human who could take calls and sign invoices on their behalf. What they needed was a world-class executive secretary, brilliant, fanatically loyal, and capable of running an entire corporate empire single-handedly if needed. This was what she delivered for them on a daily basis, so it wasn't any lack of self-confidence that defeated her now.

She knew what it was. Without Aro to give her orders, receive her recommendations, and generally smooth everything over with his praise and caresses, she felt the heavy reality of her situation too acutely. If she stopped and thought about what she was doing, about just who it was she worked for, about what was likely to happen to her if she made a mistake, about what had been promised to her if she didn't…. Gianna drew a deep, shuddering breath and sat up straighter. She reached into her bag for her make-up and began touching up her face and adjusting her perfectly arranged hair.

A few minutes later her heels were clicking along the passageway to the private offices of the Volturi masters.

She stopped outside one of the three doors and tried to calm her breathing and slow down her rapidly accelerating heartbeat before entering.

"What the hell is it, Gianna?" a man's voice snapped curtly from the other side of the door.

Gianna steeled herself and opened the door. Stepping forward, she bowed her head respectfully.

"Master."

Caius, preoccupied with the multiple computer monitors arranged on his desk, looked up sharply. His cold glare contrasted oddly with the youthful, almost feral beauty of his features and white-blond hair.

The nervousness of her manner told him that somewhere something had gone very wrong. "SHIELD?" he asked.

Gianna nodded. "I called to confirm my weekly visit and I was told that the facility was temporarily closed to outside visitors."

Caius tapped his fingers on his desk meditatively. "There are only two reasons why the facility would be closed. First if something went wrong and had to be contained, and second if the facility has been shut down entirely."

"SHIELD is supposed to contact us if the other masters are in trouble."

"Provided Mr. Fury is still willing to communicate with us." Caius rose and walked around to lean against the front of his desk, his arms crossed. Gianna took an involuntary step backwards.

Caius ignored the human secretary's nervousness, he had better things to think about than Gianna's irritatingly sensitive reaction to everything he said or did in her presence.

Marcus had warned them that Fury couldn't be trusted for long. The whole plan had been a race against time in that regard.

The most likely explanation for refusing Gianna's request to visit the facility was that Fury had decided to ignore the directives of the Global Security Council entirely and go rogue, acting on his own belief that the vampires were a clear threat and any alliance between humans and vampires was certain to end in blood, a lot of blood.

If that were true, then everyone Caius loved was now in grave danger, if not already dead.

"Gianna," he said, seriousness stripping his voice of its usual caustic sting, "put the Nuclear Option into effect."

"M-m-master?" Her eyes widened in shock.

"Now, Gianna."

"Yes, Master," Gianna recovered herself and bowing, left the room quickly.

* * *

Nick Fury stood in front of the canister-shaped containment cell and smiled, clearly pleased with himself. Next to him Maria Hill checked and double-checked the safeguards for the new cage.

Through the clear sides of the cell, the three vampires looked back at him with unreadable expressions. They made no move to get out. It was reasonable to expect that SHIELD had tested the material of the cell thoroughly to make sure it was impenetrable.

"Not so cocky now, are we?" said Fury, smirking. "Let's get this clear, if all the laws of the universe fail and you do actually manage to get out….this happens."

Hill tapped a key and a curtain of flame shot up around the cell. Another tap and the flames cut off.

"Any questions?" inquired Fury.

"What do you want, Mr. Fury?" Marcus asked in a bored voice.

"You'll see. Just sit tight." Fury grinned and turned on his heel with a sweep of his leather coat.

The vampires watched him leave, accompanied by Hill, who looked back one last time to see if they had moved.

Only when they were alone did the three break their dignified silence.

Carlisle groaned and rubbed his hands over his golden hair. "What is going on here?" he asked, exasperated.

"Fury is completely on his own now," said Marcus thoughtfully, beginning to pace. "I would be very surprised if he had more than a select team working with him at the moment. Everyone else would be kept in the dark in case the Council finds out.

"Why hasn't Fury just gotten rid of us?" asked Didyme. "Are we hostages?"

The three exchanged looks. None of them wanted to be the first to voice the inevitable answer to her question.

Not hostages. Test subjects.

* * *

Aro came back to life with a startled gasp, air filling his lungs in a half-choked exclamation. His eyes snapped open and a convulsion momentarily seized his body. He was lying on his back on a hard surface. A small light glowed somewhere on eye-level. He could barely see anything but blurry shapes, almost indistinguishable from the space they inhabited.

"God, oh god, Loki." He reached blindly upward, and the fog that had obscured his vision faded away to reveal Loki kneeling by his side and bending over him.

"Aro, Aro you're alive," Loki said, his voice strained with emotion.

Aro laughed, a light skittering sound, his breathing still unsteady. "It worked," he whispered huskily, "Loki, it worked." He laughed again, his fingers found Loki's face, giving back confused images of the tendrils of energy striking him, his body cradled in someone's arms, a mad scramble to leave the facility. He searched for meaning but all the memories he could read were overwhelmed by the intensity of Loki's emotions, his terrible fear for Aro's safety and his self-lacerating anger with himself for agreeing to the experiment in the first place.

Aro pulled Loki down to him until their faces touched. "It's alright, Loki, I'm alright, I'm alive, I'm going to be alright." There were tears under his fingers and he could feel the pain of Loki's relief when he kissed him, deep and possessive.

_I've been so alone._

"I'm here now, I promise I won't leave you again."

Loki caressed Aro's face. "Your eyes have turned green."

Aro chuckled, his fingers smoothing down Loki's hair, "That's because I'm yours now," he said softly.

At first, Aro's senses were entirely taken up with Loki, but he gradually became aware of their surroundings, and the others near them.

A secluded portion of some kind of warehouse. Dust and the smell of long-abandoned machinery.

Demetri and Felix stood to one side, their backs turned to give the illusion of privacy.

"Demetri, Felix, where are the others?" Aro asked.

They turned around and came forward a little reluctantly to crouch down by Aro.

"Director Fury broke with the Council, SHIELD agents stormed the facility. We had to evacuate," said Demetri, a little too quickly.

"Where. Are. The. Others?" Aro asked, over-articulating each word.

Demetri hesitated for a moment. "The agents arrived sooner than expected, Master, we were separated from the others while we were leaving."

"Liar," said Aro wearily. "Give me your hand."

Demetri held out his hand and Aro grasped it, silent for a moment.

_Marcus giving orders to Demetri and Felix._

_"I don't care what you do so long as he is kept safe."_

_"But Master, you and the lady Didyme…."_

_Marcus speaking with great force, all the more terrifying for its rarity. "Aro's safety above all, do you understand?"_

_"Yes, Master."_

_A glimpse, just before they left the facility, SHIELD agents surrounding a small group of people, Marcus's head just visible above the helmeted agents._

Aro sighed and released Demetri's hand.

Demetri and Felix bowed their heads.

"Please forgive us, Master," said Felix. "We could not disobey the order."

Aro gestured dismissively. "That is of no consequence now."

He started to get unsteadily to his feet. Everyone reached out to grab hold of him but he was regaining strength every minute and by the time he was standing upright, he only had to hold onto Loki's shoulder a little for balance.

"We're going back for them," he said, in a quiet voice that silenced any protests before they began. Loki's hand found his and clasped it hard. Aro turned his head quickly to see Loki's expression of dangerous determination.

_No one harms my family._

Aro smiled, a small, widening smile of completely inappropriate glee.


End file.
